Workplace Ethics Activity: Making Informed Ethical Decisions

Workplace Ethics Activity: Making Informed Ethical Decisions

Ethics are the rules used to determine the difference between right and wrong. These rules come from our values and morals, our society and laws, and from principles such as "The Golden Rule."

Directions: Choose one of the cases listed below and create a PowerPoint in which you FULLY describe what you think should be done in that situation. You must use all of the steps listed in the box below; include one slide for each step plus a title slide.

Scenarios:

For all scenarios, assume you are employed by Best Computer Systems, a large computer manufacturing company with approximately 1000 employees. The company is located in a large metropolitan area.

CASE 1: Emily works in Quality Control. Once a year, her supervisor gives away the refurbished computers to the local elementary school. No specific records are kept of this type of transaction and Emily really needs a computer for her son who is in college. Her supervisor asks her to deliver 12 computer systems to the school.

CASE 2: Marvin is the secretary in the Facilities Management Department. He has just received a new computer and wants to try it out. Though his supervisor has a strict policy about computer use for business purposes only, he wants to learn the e-mail software more thoroughly than his training can provide. One good way to do this, he figures, is to write e-mail messages to his friends and relatives until he gets the knack of it. He is caught up on all his work and only has 30 minutes left to work today. His supervisor left early.

CASE 3: Jennie was recently hired to work as a receptionist for the front lobby. As receptionist, she is responsible for making copies for the associates. Her son, Bruce, comes in and needs some copies for a school project. He brought his own paper and needs 300 copies for his class. If he doesn't bring the copies with him, he will fail the project. The company copier does not require a security key nor do they keep track of copies made by departments.

Steps for Making Ethical Decisions

1. Identify the ethical issue or problem. 2. List the facts that have the most bearing on the decision. 3. Identify anyone who might be affected by your decision and how. 4. Explain what each affected person would want you to do about the issue. 5. List three alternative actions and identify the best and worst case scenario for each alternative, anyone who

would be harmed by this choice (and how), any values that would be compromised by selecting this alternative and any automatic reasons why this alternative should not be selected (legal issues, rules, etc.). 6. Determine a course of action.

Adapted fromB

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